JK
by SlippingHopes
Summary: Kaiya is your average young woman, but when she gets a vist from Dante,your run of the mill psycopath,her life is turned upside down...How will she servive this nightmare?How will she react when she offered new life? Find out in this bloodsoaked thriller
1. Chapter 1

Hello to all my readers! Sorry it has been so long, but i can assure I am not dead! Now most of you have probably read my other stories and want to read something similar, but i must warn you that this isn't an exotic tail. This is a cross over story that i have been co-wrighting with my boyfriend. What is this a cross over of you ask? Of my two favorate 'bad guys'; the Joker and Jigsaw! Now this is a CHARACTER cross over. This means that the main male character(Dante) is a combination of the Joker and Jigsaw. So I hope you enjoy this and you will read until the end! (The characters involved can be seen as my Icon!)(chapter three is to be posted soon!) Enjoy!

Bienvinue! all followers of Slipping Hope and [[hopefuly]] future followers of the Phantom Enigma. This blood-curdleing tale is a co-produced thriller of the two aforementioned pens. The character known as Dante is of my own creation, and Kaiya is of SlippingHopes's creation...these characters are of our own persona I do hope that these puzzles trap you into reading.

_**J-K**_

I was laying on my bed with my Ipod blasting and my TV running the news. I was in my pajamas and I had seemed to sleep the day away. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, I just relaxed all day. I sat up and turned off my Ipod and as soon as I was about to change the channel the word "murder" caught my attention.

"-and the victims mouth was again cut from the cheeks to the lips. The man calling himself the Court Jester is-"

I flipped the channel. The news had become so depressing with this new serial killer on the lose. I flipped channels until I came across _House_. I settled down and watched for about ten minutes when my stomach growled loudly. I heaved a heavy sigh. In order to get to the kitchen I would have to go down the stairs. The stairs were dark and I have fallen down them many times in the past in the dark of night. I would have usually left the lights on, but my mom and dad where out of town and I would forget to turn the lights off so I usually just kept them off when I was the only one home. Being fresh out of high school, I was still looking for a collage and a somewhat decent job, so I lived with my parents..

Again my stomach growled and I had made up my mind. Holding my Ipod and bracing myself against the walls, I slowly made my way down the stairs. At the foot of the steps, Iflipped the light switch and blinked as the hall light blinded me. I made my way into the dark kitchen and a flash of lightning lit up the room and it was quickly followed with a loud clap of thunder and a wave of heavy, wind-blown rain.

I flicked on the kitchen light, placed my Ipod on the counter, and proceeded to look through the cabinets for something to eat.

"I hate this fending for myself gig," I said to myself while digging through the canned goods.

I was just about to move to the fridge when the lights went out.

"Oh that's just great!"

I tried to flip the light switch to avail and with a heavy sigh I slowly made my way to the living room, but I had forgotten my Ipod in the kitchen. Turning to go back into the kitchen I thought I saw something out of the corner or my eye. I turned and squinted into the dark.

"Hello?" I called.

No answer.

"Well I doubt any one would answer if they were here."

I walked into the kitchen and picked my Ipod up off the counter. I turned around and I felt watched, but when I was home alone, I was usually paranoid about these things; too many horror movies.

I found my cell phone in my pj pockets and flipped it open. I heaved a heavy sigh.

"And all my friends are too busy to talk to me. Not a single text message!"

I closed my phone, stuffed it in my bra, and walked down the hall, but as I walked I could have sworn I heard foot steps behind me, so I turned around. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, let alone someone one standing a few feet in front of me. After a long moment of staring into the darkness and staring at some one who wasn't there, I shrugged.

"I'm losing my mind," I said aloud.

I made my way to the living room and crawled onto the sofa. With a triumphant grin, I turned on my Ipod.

"I made it! And I didn't kill myself!"

"You may not have killed yourself…but I will," a male's low whisper said behind me.

I froze; my mind and body ceased to function. Suddenly, a hand was placed over my mouth and my head was forced back onto the arm of the sofa. I grabbed at the strong arm pinning me to the sofa and kicked out, trying to get lose from the grip holding me down. I opened my mouth and bit down on the hand holding in my muffled screams, but I was pulled to the floor. The hand was pushed back into my throat, triggering my gag reflex. When I gagged, the hand was pulled from my teeth and was replaced over my mouth. I felt something cold and sharp pressed against of my cheek; a blade of some sort.

"Now now…We wouldn't want anything to happen to that beautiful face of your's, now do we…Kaiya?"

How did this freak know my name?

I struggled against his grip, but as I lashed out to kick him, I felt the man's arm flex and I felt a sharp pain in my right cheek. I tasted metal and blood; he had pierced my cheek with the blade. My screams of pain were muffled by his hand and I could feel his sneer. I felt him tug the blade up through my cheek and the blood flowed down my throat, choking me. When I choked and coughed, he pulled the blade to my lips.

"Hmmm…Now for the other side," the man said with excitement.

I could hear the sneer in his voice.

He removed his hand and put the blade in my mouth. He plunged it into my inner cheek and I felt it exit out the other side. With a chuckle, the man pulled the blade through to my lips. My scream of pain went unrestrained, but I chocked on my blood and it was cut short. I thrashed and balled my fist. I raised it back and attempted to land one on his jaw, but I was too slow. He leaned back and dodged it. He then grabbed my arms and took the knife and plunged it through my hand, pinning my hand palm-up to the wooden floor. I screamed and when I went to pull the thing out, another blade was thrust into my other hand palm-up, pinning my upper body to the floor.

"There. What a lovely smile you have," he said gently touching my cuts.

When I hissed with pain, he quickly drew back.

I still had yet to see his face, but I could tell he was wearing a hat that his face in shadow and a trench coat-the cliché uniform of psychopathic stalkers. His voice chilled me and he seemed to know everything about me, but I had to do something to get away from this guy.

"Who the fuck are you?" I said through my teeth to keep from moving my lips.

"Such language. A woman with such a nice smile shouldn't use such vulgar words. But in answer to your question, I'm called many things, but recently I have been known as the Court Jester, but you, sweet heart, can call me Dante."

I gritted my teeth as a new wave pain took over me. I could feel my blood pour from my wounds and it was pooling around my mouth. I felt like I was going to drown in my own blood. The room was starting to spin slightly.

"Wh…W-wa…"

I couldn't form a full sentence through the pain and the blood loss. The man that called himself Dante stood up and walked away from me, slipping into the dark. There was a commotion in the kitchen. When he came back, he was carrying something.

"This will help stop the bleeding, but you mustn't strain yourself," he said kneeling next to me.

He holding the large container of salt and he popped open the cap. I didn't have time to brace myself before he poured on my scared mouth. I screamed and he poured the salt into my mouth. I gasped and choked on the bitter, burring substance. The pain was excruciating and I was blinded by it. I couldn't think. I couldn't even breath. I tried to turn my body away from this man before me, but when he noticed, he straddled me and kept me from moving. I could feel the cuts scabbing over with the help of the salt.

"Get off me!" I screamed through my teeth.

The man moved off me and sat across me. He sat there watching me struggle with the pain. With my hands pinned above me, all I could do was thrash about and hope that I got free. I pulled at my hands.

"Pull these damn things out!" I yelled at him.

"Only if you play my game."

"Well if you won't take them out, I'll rip myself free!" I yelled, pulling my hands, fresh, hot blood pouring from the wounds.

The man laughed at me.

"You can try, but you'll only succeed in causing yourself more pain. In order to get free, you'll have to cut through bone and-" he laughed curtly- "those knives are no where near sharp enough to accomplish that."

I pushes my palms against the hilt of the knives and pushed on it, but before I could get it out of the wood, my attacker was standing over me.

"Now now, we can't have that now can we," he said, a sneer in his voice.

He placed his foot on the hilt of the knife and pushed it further into the wood. When he lifted up his foot, I attempted to free myself again. The man suddenly ripped the knife from my left hand and knelt next to me.

"Since you want it out so badly. But this knife has to go somewhere," he sneered.

I pulled my arm down to my chest and feebly flexed my fingers, a fresh wave of pain blinding me.

"If you don't tell me where to put this, I'll chose for you."

I was just about to tell him where could shove that blade of his when I felt him loom over me.

"Too late," he laughed and plunged the blade into my left foot, pinning my leg to the floor instead.

The scream of pain that escaped my lips went unrestrained and the tears that spilled over onto my cheeks rolled down the side of my face and into my tangled ponytail. As the pain dulled, I tried to reach the knife in my right hand, but found I couldn't reach it. On a whim, I took my right foot and pushed against the blade holding my left leg to the floor. I felt the knife pull lose from my flesh. I kicked the knife to my side and picked it up, slashing at my attacker. He laughed and stood back away from me.

"I'm impressed. Most people would have laid there and bleed," he chuckled.

I crawled to my knees and gripped the knife still pinning me in place.

"But can you pull that out with your hand like that?" he asked amused and sitting on the couch.

He was right. My hand was weak and when I tried to pull the knife out, waves of hard pain rolled up my arm. I pushed my right palm against the hilt of the knife and pulled. I felt the blade give way from the wood and fell backward, hitting the floor. I tried to crawl for the door, pulling the knife out of my bleeding hand and throwing it behind me as I heard the man stand and walk in my direction.

I didn't even get out of the living room before he was standing over me, laughing. I reached for the cell phone in my bra and pulled it out. I kicked at the man and flipped open my phone.

"Now now, we can't have that, now can we?" he said suddenly grabbing my arms and taking my phone.

I crawled a few inches from him as he stomped on my phone, shattering it. I heard him close the small gap I had created between us and I screamed loudly, hoping that some one outside would hear me and come to my aid.

"Now now, we can't have that…now can we," he said again in a lower more intimidating voice.

I screamed again and still attempted to crawl away. The man sighed.

"I was hoping that you would come willingly…but I guess even I dream too hard."

Suddenly I felt something placed over my nose and mouth. Instinctively I held my breath and thrashed around. I threw a punch at him, hoping to hit him in the face. He leaned back, dodging it, and I hit the brim of his hat. I felt it hit my shoulder as it tumbled off his head and to the floor.

"You have a strong will, don't you." he laughed.

"Well I guess we have to do this the hard way."

He pinned me down and I felt his other hand release me, but before I could do anything, I felt a sharp pain in my side; he had stabbed me with one of the knives I had pulled from my flesh.

I gasped, but I got a lung full of Ether and the room began to spin. My head felt fuzzy. I looked out the window and I saw the street lights on, but my power remained off. I looked up at the man I dubbed as my attacker and the light from the street lamps lit up his face.

He had messy dark hair, dark eyes, pail skin, and well off looks, but he had scars running from his ears to his lips in a permanent grin. He looked disappointed, but my vision was fading and it was getting harder to make out things. Soon my vision blacked out completely and I was no longer aware of my surroundings.

~*~ Chapter 1 End~*~

Chapter 2

I woke up groggy, my senses dulled, and in darkness. I didn't know how long I was out. I rolled onto my belly and crawled until my head made contact with a wall. Cursing under my breath, I got to my feet unsteadily, bracing myself against the wall. My hands throbbed painfully and my left foot was too tender to support my weight. I hissed with pain as I ran my stiff, sore hands across the wall, stumbling and unable to insure my balance.

"Keep moving around like that and you'll only succeed in causing yourself more pain."

The familiar amused voice to my left caused me to gasp and scramble to get away. I stumbled and fell hard to the floor. The voice sighed and I squinted against the dark that was blinding me. I could barely make out the figure of the man before me.

"I told you so," he said kneeling next to me.

"W-w-" I tried to speak, but my mouth was numb and my tongue was proving difficult to move.

" 'Where am I?'…You're where I want you to be. And if you were smart you would listen to me…unless you want to fail your test."

"T-te-"

"Will you stop trying to talk and listen?" he said, his voice becoming irritated.

I glared at his dark figure, my eyesight still fuzzy.

"Why can't…I see…?" I managed to choke out.

"Don't worry…The blindness is only temporary. Now listen to me. I am not exaggerating when I say that your life depends on you passing this test."

I continued to glare at his figure, but remained silent.

"Good girl…" he said stroking my head.

I remained still and allowed him to speak and do as he pleased, not knowing what to do.

"Now-"he stopped rubbing my head "-listen. The knives that I used to draw your blood were soaked in poison. The antidote is in this house somewhere. All you have to do is follow the clues I have left for you."

I was still trying to focus on him, but was unable to. I remained silent and concentrated on his words. He stood up and moved to my left, slipping out of my currently limited vision. When he returned, he pulled me into a reclining position.

"Don't struggle or I'll be forced to pin you to the floor again and create more cuts in that juicy flesh of yours," he threatened when I protested.

I stopped thrashing and he hooked something metal around my neck, the heavy object pushing on my shoulders. The cold from the metal seeping through my night shirt, chilling me. I reached up to pull thing off my shoulders, but he caught my hand.

"Ah ah ah…now we can't have you running off during your test, now can we?"

"What is this?" I asked weakly and going limp, unable to fight him off anymore.

My vision was beginning to fade again and I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness once again.

"Its something to keep you from running off. I suggest you finish your test. If you try to run, you won't get very far…in one piece anyway," he said, placing what I gathered to be a pad lock on the collar, a loud click sounding as it locked the collar in place.

He laid me down on my back gently, slipping his hand out from under my back. He stood up and walked away from me. I could no longer see.

"You have about two hours before the never agent attacks your system and you will no longer be able to function. I suggest you get to your feet as quickly as you can and attempt to find the antidote I have placed around here…I'm looking forward to see if you pass your test of your willingness to live. I hope your will is strong enough to keep you alive…And before I leave, I will leave you with a hint; The antidote can be found where your fondest memories are."

And with that I heard the opening and the closing of a door followed by the sound of a turning lock. I had lost how much time I was laying in the floor until I came to senses. I opened my eyes and forced my heavy body into a sitting position. I looked around the room and slowly stood up, my legs shaking under my weight. My vision was blurred and the room was dark. I stumbled and limped around in hopes of finding a way out.

I held my arms out in front of me to prevent myself from bumping into anymore walls. I walked a few feet until I felt my hands slide painful across rough wood. I winced and slid the tips of my fingers across the wood until I felt the crease of a door. I felt for a door knob and found it after a few moments. I pulled on the door knob, but it won't open so I moved on, my eyes finally adjusting to my surroundings. I limped to another and tried to open it. Nothing. I placed my sore and tender hand over the third door knob and pushed hard against it while turning the door knob. The door gave way and I tumbled inside of the room, falling to my hands and knees.

I hissed with pain as my scabbed palms slapped hard tiled floor, a small sob escaping my lips. I got to my feet and looked around. I was in a large kitchen. It looked run down and was falling apart. I could hear the mice running across the floors and I was suddenly aware I was bare footed and had open wounds on my hands, feet, and mouth.

I looked up and saw something on the counter. I limped over and saw that it was a folder. I picked it up and opened it. It looked like blueprints of the house I was trapped in. The room I was standing in now was marked with a red circle. At the top of the paper I could make out red words. I squinted at the letters and forced my eyes to focus on them.

_Tick tock tick tock. How long will you search under the RAINBOW? Time is running out._

I stared at the bold capitalized word. RAINBOW. Didn't that psycho say something about clues?

I tore the top off the blue prints and stuffed it into my bra. I thought it would come in handy. I put the folder back on the counter and turned around. I gasped and screamed, stumbling back against the counter at the thing I saw before me. It was a figure. Upon closer inspection I found that it was a mirror and I had seen my own reflection. I leaned closer to it and gasped.

The cuts on my face were dark, blood stained, and scabbed over. I also saw the metal thing around my neck. It looked like it was an explosive of some sort. I looked closer and located what I guessed to be the detonator I went to touch it when my hands started throbbing painfully. I winced and turned away from the mirror, looking threw the drawers of the counter in hopes of finding something that I could use to bandage myself up. Upon finding nothing in the first four, I attempted the fifth. It had a red X on it. I hesitated for a moment, but I had to find something. I opened the drawer.

I found some dirty rags, but on top of them was a key. I picked it up and studied it for just a second before I stuffed it with the piece of paper I had taken from the blue prints. I then wrapped up the cuts on my hands and my foot.

When I left the room, I ran for the front door, attempting to use the key to unlock the door. I tried to force the key into the lock.

"DAMN IT!" I yelled throwing the key.

I slumped against the door, my head starting to hurt. Something to my right caused me to turn my head and my attention to it. A blinking light and a dark room. I limped my way into the room which I was guessing to be the living room. The blinking light I saw was from an old digital clock that was sitting on the floor. It was blinking 2:23 A.M.

How long had I been subjected to this poison that was being pumped through my system? My kidnapper had said that I had 2 hours, but how long had I taken to get started on this little test of his? I had to find the antidote.

I turned to exit the room, but another folder caught my eye. It was tacked on the wall so I pulled off and flipped it open. There was nothing in it but a piece of paper with red writing. I squinted and attempted to red by the dim light of a single lamp in the other room.

_Time to look up…_

I looked up, as stupid as that sounds, and I saw nothing. When I walked out of the room I turned looked to my left and saw a stair case. I felt a strong flash of hope. I climbed it and saw a single door that wasn't boarded up. A rainbow similar to the one I had on my door was painted on it. I smiled and pulled on the handle. Nothing. It was locked. My heart sank and I was running out of time, but I couldn't give up.

I suddenly remembered the key and run back for the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I realized with a sinking feeling that I didn't see where the key had landed when I threw it. I took a few steps and started looking for the key in the dim light. I was about to get on my hands and knees when my vision suddenly went black and I felt myself hit the ground.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

I watched as my subject collapse and started convulsing as the poison hit her nervous system. I sighed in disappointment. I really had high hopes for this one. Now I remembered why I avoided testing women; they can't function very well under stress and time limit.

I picked up her folder and my red marker, preparing to mark her test as a fail, but for some reason I had hesitated. I never hesitated. I glanced back at the screen and smiled, putting the folder and the marker back down. I looked back at the monitor and watched as my dear Kaiya continued to surprise and amaze me.

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~

I crawled to my knees and crawled to the other side of the room, but as I neared the wall, I felt something hit my shaking hand. I looked down and saw the key. Still shaking violently, I picked it up and crawled up the stairs. I reached the door still on my hands and knees, shaking. I put the key in the lock, turned it, and tumbled into the room. My vision was beginning to fade again and I was shaking more. I looked up and saw red writing above a bookcase.

_Books are wonderful things._

I crawled to my feet and stumbled over to the bookcase. When I looked on the shelves, I recognized my photo box. I picked it up, shaking, and read the words on it.

_Your fondest memories._

I opened it and reached in, but withdrew my hand as pain ripped through me and fresh warm blood rolled down my arm. I looked in the box and saw razor wire on top of a syringe. Holding my breath I reached in and pulled out the needle. But as I went to plunge it into my arm, I lost feeling and my sight. I fell to my knees and heard the needle roll the ground. I franticly felt around for it and heard it roll as it hit my fingertips. I gripped it, shaking, blind, and plunged it into my arm.

When I woke up, there was a dim, grey light coming in from a gap in the boarded window. I sat up and my head was splitting and my vision was blurry. I sat up and looked around the room. It was dusty and run down, but that wasn't what caught my attention. It was the man leaning against the door frame that caught my attention.

He was standing with his arms crossed and with his weight on one leg. He was wearing a fedora and a long trench coat with silver buckles on the shoulders and waist. He was watching me with an amused look on his face, his scarred grin standing out against the pail grey light of morning.

I knew I didn't have the strength to fight him off, but I would try. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and glared at him waiting for him to make the first move and to gather my energy to make a run for it…but…I sat in amazement…The man before me began to applaud.

"Congratulations, my dear Kaiya. You have passed your test and your reward is my offer," he said walking over to me.

I tried to crawl away, but I wasn't fast enough to get away from him.

"Easy now. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to get the device off you. If you try to leave this house with it on, then it'll explode," he said moving slowly and showing me a key.

I backed myself against the wall with no where to go. I held my breath as he knelt down and reached for my neck. He took the key, unlocked the padlock, pulled off the collar, and tossed it to the side. It hit the hard, rotting wooden floor with a loud thud.

I stared at the man with wide eyes and rubbed my raw neck and sore shoulders.

"There we go. Now you can calm down and listen to what I have to offer," he said smiling at me.

I remained silent and against the wall.

"Alright. You are the first to pass your test. You win your life and my offer. I am in need of an apprentice and I have chosen you to test to see if you can be relied on. If you refuse, I shall leave and you will never see me again. If you accept, I will take care of you and make sure you are protected. I shall give you purpose."

When I didn't say anything, the man stood up.

"I understand. An ambulance and the police will arrive with thirty minuets of my departure. And again I congratulate you on your passing," he said walking for the door.

He pulled his hat low over his eyes and I heard his footsteps starting for the stairs. I crawled to my feet and stumbled for the door.

"Wait!" I yelled weakly.

He stopped and turned toward me. I couldn't see his eyes and his face was blank.

"Yes?"

"Why?"

"Why what?" he asked pulling his hat up and exposing his eyes.

He was wearing a questioning look and I felt as though this was a test.

"Why me? Why was I tested? I watch the news. The people you go after are druggies and ex convicts. I'm not that kind of person. I have done nothing."

"Precisely. You have done nothing," he said walking the few step he had taken and stopping before me.

"You, my sweet little Kaiya, have been tested because of the seventh deadly sin of sloth. You were doing nothing with your life and I have given you purpose…that is…if you take my offer."

I remained silent and he shrugged.

"Very well…" he said and moved for the stairs again.

"Wait!" I yelled grabbing his coat arm.

He turned and looked at me.

"Alright…" I said after a long pause.

"I'll come with you."

The man smiled and walked for the steps again.

"Alright then. Come on then. You have a lot to learn."

"But before I come with you…I would like to know your name…"

"I have told you once before…You may call me Dante."

"No last name?" I asked following him.

"I find them a hassle so I dropped it. I will ask you do the same."

I stopped. He turned to look at me when he didn't hear me behind him.

"This will not be easy. I won't lie. You will have to cut all ties to your previous life. That includes contact with your friends and family…Are you still willing to do this?"

I looked down thinking. After a long moment…I nodded. He smiled and continued down the stairs and out the door.

"Come on then…You need a long rest."

And with that I followed him. He was to become my teacher; my mentor. I would learn everything from Dante. He gave me purpose and new life. I would follow him every where and do what he asked of me. This was the start of my story. My new life. My new purpose. I was Dante's apprentice and he would teach me everything. This was the start my story…this was the start of Dante's legacy. It is up to you to decide whether what we do is right or not…

~*~Chapter 2 End~*~


	2. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I looked in the mirror and slowly pulled off the gauze from my cheeks, wincing. I stared at my reflection. The stitches holding my mouth together were throbbing and when I lightly touched the forming scars, I quickly withdrew my hand as an intense burning sensation caused me to hiss with pain.

"You did a very good job on that," a voice said to my right.

I looked over my shoulder at Dante. It had been three weeks sense Dante had taken me under his wing. He had taken me to a large house and was currently housing me.

He was leaning against the bathroom door frame, arms crossed over his chest. I looked back at my reflection and started cleaning the wounds.

"I think it may be infected," I said through my teeth, pain rippling through my body as I applied the antiseptic.

"Let me see," he said walking behind me and looking at my reflection.

He leaned closer to better examine the puffy, stitched up cuts on my cheeks. They were red and painful. His expression quickly went from curiosity to that of concern.

"I'm sorry," he said in a low voice, lowering his eyes.

I remained silent and continued to take care of the wounds gingerly. He watched me from the mirror, his eyes never leaving my new scars.

It wasn't like I blamed him. In fact I thanked him for showing me my wrong ways. I was given purpose; to become Dante's apprentice, his student, and learn everything I could from him so I could start putting ungrateful, unworthy, people to the test. If they passed, then they want their life. If they failed…well…let's just say school let out for them.

The way Dante told it, the people who failed didn't want life enough to make sacrifices or spill their own blood. What we were doing was putting an end to misery, but in order to do that we had to put some people in a situation where they could either endure a bit of pain, or do nothing and suffer the ultimate price; the loss of their life. This _wasn't_ murder, but the news didn't understand. In fact I doubt you understand.

This wasn't murder, it was _retribution_. I believed everything Dante told me. Why you ask? After what he did to you? Yes…I trusted him fully. I didn't even know why I did. I guess you could say it was complicated.

A hand on my shoulder pulled me from my thoughts. I looked at Dante, he smiled at me faintly, turned, and left me to finish taking care of the wounds. When I finished, I placed new gauze on my mouth and walked out of the room.

I didn't get very far before I heard my name could from one off the many in the large house. I followed the sound and stopped at the door just across the staircase. Dante looked up at me from the floor. He was tinkering with some sort of contraption.

"Yes?"

"Come here for a moment; I need your help."

I walked over to him and kneeled down next to him.

"I need you to hold this bar straight while I secure it in place," he said sliding a steel bar into place between tow gear sets.

I stood and held the bar firmly, the cold metal chilling me, the rust scratching my bandaged palms. The loud ringing of a riveter filled my ears and the bar shook in my hands. I held onto it tightly and waited for Dante to finish. The ringing stopped and I heard the _cluck_ of the thing hitting the ground.

"You can let go now, Kaiya."

I let go and looked down at Dante. He was inspecting his work, a smiles lightly touching his lips. I stared at the sculpture-like metal contraption. Dante stood beside me, still smiling. The thing looked like a piece of art.

"Is it finished?" I asked.

"Far from it, I'm putting this project on hold for now."

"Why?" I asked a Dante threw a greased stained sheet over the device.

"Because I have another project I'm getting ready to work on," he replied, turning away from me.

"You know if you keep working on one thing and stop to work on something else, you'll never get anything done," I said smiling playfully.

"It will get done, but I have been meaning to pick up this other project now for awhile now," he said returning my tone with a smile.

"What new project are you working on?"

"I'm sorry, Dear Kaiya, but I must keep this one a secret from you for the time being," he said walking to a large stack of boxes and almost as tall as he was.

"I'm going out for a bit. Stay inside the house and if someone comes to the door for whatever reason, don't open it," he said walking past me.

I nodded and lowered my eyes. He always told me the same thing; stay inside, don't go anywhere, don't draw attention to your location, don't mess in things. The same routine. I obeyed of course, but I felt as though I had little freedom.

I watched Dante walk down the stairs and out the old, chipping, wooden door. I walked to the room that was mine and fell on the bed. I usually napped until I heard a car door slam and keys in the lock of the door, signaling Dante's return. But last time he went out, he was gone for hours and I had missed my chance to speak with him, sleeping well into the next morning.

Tonight I felt hot, feverish. I shivered slightly, my temperature fluctuating dramatically due to the infection. I tried my best to hide this from Dante, not wanting to make him feel guilty or worry. I closed my eyes and eased myself into a light sleep.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

I opened the door and stepped inside the house. I was greeted by the familiar scent of home as I pulled the scarf that was hiding my scars off my face and tossed it into the chair next to the door along with my keys and fedora. I closed and locked the door behind me and started for the stair case. Usually I was greeted by my sweet little Kaiya when I reached the top, but she's been sleeping a lot lately.

I walked to her bedroom and peered in, opening her door slightly. Something wasn't right with her. She was shivering and her breathing was off. Worry washed over me. It was new sensation I was still in the processes of getting used to.

I opened her door wide and stepped in.

"Kaiya?" I called.

She shifted and looked at me. He eyes were glazed and unfocused. As she attempted to push herself up off the bed, her arms shook and gave out, causing her to fall back down.

"Kaiya?"

I ran over to her and rolled her on to her back. I could feel her fever a full inch away from her skin. I rushed to the bathroom across from her room and opened the medicine cabinet, pulling out a thermometer. Running back to her side, I put it in Kaiya's mouth and held it in place under her tongue. I watched the numbers reach 100 in a matter of seconds. Soon it was up to 103.7.…103.9.…

Her temperature was raising quickly.

"Kaiya, look at me," I said pulling the thermometer out of her mouth and setting it on the night stand.

I gently took her face into my hands and looked at her. Her eyes fluttered, then closed, her body going completely limp. She had slipped into unconsciousness. I had to do something to lower her temperature and I had to do it quickly. I knew all too well how hot the human body could get before the brain starts to fry.

I picked her up and stumbled with her into the bathroom. I laid her in the bathtub and turned the cold water on, letting it wash over her while I went back to fetch the thermometer. I knelt next to the tub, dipped a rag in the freezing water, and placed it on her head.

I replaced the thermometer under her tongue and watched the numbers rise to 104.3 and hold steady. I removed the thermometer again and laid her deeper into the water, soaking her clothes and hair. I watched as she began to shiver violently, her fever beginning to break. I sat with my back against the wall and watched her carefully for a few moments as her fever came down. When her fever was down to 100.2, I drained the water in the tub and wrapped her up in a thick blanket.

I carried her back to her room and placed her gently down, resting her head on the pillow, her hair still dripping with the water from her ice bath. I cocooned her in the blanket to dry her off and keep her warm. I sat on the edge of her bed and watched her closely, monitoring her temperature and symptoms.

I carefully pealed off the wet gauze from her cheeks to let her wounds dry out. The cuts were swollen and red. I examined the stitches and winced. I had asked her not to contact a doctor and she had agreed, claiming she could stitch the wounds up herself. I sighed and sat back, still staring at the wounds on her face.

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around. I was in my room and the sun was casting a pail light through the black out curtains. I looked down at the blanket that I was wrapped tightly in. I wriggled free and sat up. The blanket was damp as where my clothing. I rubbed my sore head, but something at the foot of the bed caught my eye.

A body at the foot of my bed was breathing deep and slow. Dante was sleeping on my bed. I carefully removed the blanket from my legs and attempted to get out of the bed, but a firm hand on my leg stopped me. I looked over at Dante and saw his firm expression.

"Lay back down," he said.

My damp jeans were clinging to me and I wanted to change, but his voice commanded me to obey him, so I did. When I was back on the bed, he got up and moved for the door.

"You're going to stay here until I get back with some things. Don't leave this room. Don't even get out of the bed," he said.

I did as I was told as I normally did, but I couldn't help but feel like a hindrance to him. Because of me he had to more to worry about. I laid back and sighed. My fever was down and I was feeling much better, but I couldn't remember how my clothes became wet and I was becoming rather uncomfortable in my damp clothing.

I made up my mind and got out of the bed. I changed my clothes and replaced myself in the bed after removing the damp blanket from my covers. I crawled under my dry blankets and threw my damp pillow off the bed, resting my head on the mattress. I felt weak and tiered so I closed my eyes. Sleep's strong hand soon gripped me and dragged me down into a sound sleep.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Dante sitting in my floor with his back to me. His head was bent low over some papers and his arm was moving slowly. He was drawing something on graphing paper; blueprints if I had to guess. When I sat up, he looked over his shoulder at me.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," he said smiling at me.

There was something in his voice that told me he had been up for some time. My room was dark and there was a small lamp on that he was working by. I looked out the window and saw that it was dark outside. I heard papers moving and returned my gaze back to Dante who was standing up and walking toward me.

"What time is it?" I asked, my voice weak and thick with sleep.

"2:45 A.M...You slept for almost two days, you know that?" he said stopping beside my bed.

"That long?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Here, take these," Dante said tipping some pills into my hand and handing me a glass of water.

"What is this?" I asked looking at the different colored medications in my palm.

"Something to help your infection…Why didn't you tell me it was this bad?" he said staring at me with a stern look.

"I did…I told you I thought it was infected," I responded, adverting my eyes.

"Yes, but you didn't tell me that you were running a fever," he said.

His under tone was angry. I knew I was in trouble and I had caused him to worry more than necessary. I should have told him as soon as I developed the fever.

"Sorry," I said lowering my head and adverting my eyes.

He sighed and I felt a hand placed on my head. I looked up at him to see a faint smile was placed on his lips. He embraced me in a tight hug then said, "Don't be sorry. Just tell me if something is wrong next time so I can help."

I looked at him as he let me go, my cheeks burning not with the infection, but with some unknown, implacable heat. I watched as he gathered up his things and walked for my door.

"You should get some more sleep. One of those pills was a sleeping aid as well as something to ease your pain and kill that fever," he said turning off the lamp, plunging my room into darkness.

I was blind and unable to see, but I felt a hand on my shoulder push me into my pillow that was now back on bed. The effects of the sleeping pill worked their magic fast and I was soon longing or sleep's embrace.

"You need to rest now," Dante's voice said soothingly.

I closed my eyes, inviting sleep to wash over me. I was vaguely aware of a hand gently stroking my head. I was lulled into a secure state and sleep soon followed.

I woke with a start and sat up quickly. My head was spinning and I had broken into a cold sweat. I looked around my room, the sun barely making it thorough my blackout curtains. I sighed with relief and held my head in my scabbed hands, covering my eyes. My hands where still shaking slightly when a voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Kaiya?"

I looked up at Dante. His expression was of worry and I stopped shaking when I saw him.

"Are you alright?" he asked walking into my room.

"I'm fine," I said.

My nightmare had been of him. He was sick and dieing and I was powerless to do anything. I don't know why that scared me so badly, but it was enough to pull me from a deep sleep.

I stood up and stretched, my joints popping loudly from my lack of movement. Feeling much better, I felt like I should have some liberty to move about the house at least.

"Don't try to do too much. You're still sick," Dante said moving closer to me.

"I feel fine."

"You still have a slight fever," he said pressing the back of hand to my forehead.

Over the past month he has been like this. Over caring. I couldn't figure it out. One moment he is completely distracted and uninterested, the next he's over bearing. I'm not complaining, don't misread me. I was just confused was all.

"It's not that bad."

"You don't understand do you…?"

"Understand what?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"You need to understand how important you are to my work, my dear Kaiya. You are irreplaceable to me. You need to understand this," he said sternly.

"I-"

"You still have a lot to learn before I can let you take over, so listen to me. I can't afford to lose that brilliant mind of yours. You are the only one who has passed their test so far. I can't afford to lose you," he said.

He shoved some more pills into my hand and handed me a glass of water.

"Here. Take these. They're for your infection. Take the pills I give you and you'll get better in no time," he said smiling at me.

With a sigh, I popped the pills into my mouth and chased them down my throat with the glass of water. Handing him back the glass, I smiled at Dante. He smiled back, took the glass from me, and walked into the hall and to the stairwell.

"Come on then. I've fixed lunch," he said.

I followed him down the stairs.

"Lunch?"

"Its past 12:30. You slept late."

I smiled and walked into the kitchen, taking my seat at the table. A plate was placed in front of me and I was joined by Dante, who sat across from me. I looked at the food in front of me. It was ham with pineapple. I had never been cooked for by a guy before, and I was stunned to see someone like Dante cook very well.

When I asked him where he learned to cook, he had responded with, "When you're someone like me, you have either a lot of time, or non at all. During the weeks when one has nothing to do, you tend to pick up things to help you live on your own. That, and I just happen to find cooking fun."

I smiled at him from across the table to signal my thanks and I picked up a fork and knife. The bite I took caused me to wince, the saltiness burning my cheeks.

"Eat it. It'll help with the infection," Dante said sternly.

I nodded and took another bite. The burning soon became a dull pain that I found pleasing. As I ate, I become increasingly aware of the fact that I was being carefully monitored.

When I was finished, I stood up and picked up my plate, carrying it to the sink and rinsing it off. Dante did the same with his plate.

I was on my way back to my room when Dante caught me by the arm.

"Where are you going?"

"To my room," I said.

"Good. Go get dressed," he said letting me go.

"Why?" I asked confused.

"Because I'm going to take you to witness a test," he said turning away from me to rummage through the cabinets.

I was shocked. He had never taken me into the field with him. I always sat in my room or on the sidelines where I couldn't see anything or interfere.

"Well go on then," he said to me.

I snapped out of my surprised trance and rushed up the stairs to my room. I closed my door, pulled on some jeans and a long sleeved black and grey stripped shirt, and made my way back down the steps, brushing my hair and pulling it up into a pony tail.

I was greeted at the foot of the stairs by Dante who was wrapping a scarf around his face, hiding his scars very effectively. When I reached him, he looked at me and held out a scarf that matched my shirt.

"For your cuts. And to hide your face. It would be very inconvenient if anyone from your past life saw you."

I took the scarf and nodded. He was right. If any of my old friends or family saw me with Dante there is no doubt that it wouldn't end horribly. I wrapped the scarf carefully around my cheeks and neck. I nodded to signal that I was ready. He then placed a fedora on his head and handed me a brimmed hat of my own. I took it and placed it on my head. I walked out the door that was being held open for me, the cool autumn air biting at my exposed flesh.

I looked around for some sort of transportation, but the only car I could see was a black 1969 Falcon with a yellow interior.

"Where is your car?" I asked still admiring the beautiful piece of machinery.

"Your looking at it," Dante said walking past me and to the Falcon.

"This…? This is your car?" I asked in disbelief.

"It was a gift. I like rare cars," he said opening the passenger door and standing to the side.

"Come on and get in already," he said sounding irritable.

A strong gust of wind picked up and blew my scarf's tails around my shoulders as Dante's mimicked the movement. I rushed for the car, ducked under his arm, and slid inside. When I was in, Dante closed the door and slid into the driver's seat, putting the keys into the ignition and turning it. The engine roared to life and we were on the main road in a matter of moments.

The small area of houses where Dante and I were residing, where practically abandoned. When we were on the main road, I noticed we were heading into the city. New York was a large place filled with big cities and plenty of abandoned store houses. It was easy to hide our works in a city as large a New York City. People who saw something would keep walking, not wanting to become involved, scared that they may get hurt. They would rather act like cowards then save a fellow human being.

But that didn't matter. What did matter was that I had seen where Dante works only once and that was just during the preparation of a test. The place he chose was completely off set from any other building. It was all but isolated; cut off from the main road unless you had a key to get in through the electrified fence.

I had no idea how Dante come to own a building such as this and I found it inappropriate to ask, so I just assumed he had help from some one he has come to know very well; someone who has been protecting him from the authorities.

I looked out the window as we turned off the interstate and onto a paved back road.

"Why are you going this way?" I asked glancing at him and then back out the window.

"A car like this is easily remembered and picked out of a crowd. I'm taking this route to remain discreet. This road is rarely used."

I thought about this and nodded, still staring out the window. But then a question slipped out of my mouth.

"How did you come across a rare car such as this?"

I bit my tongue and wished I could cram the question back down my throat, but to my surprise, Dante answered it casually.

"It was a gift from a very good friend of mine."

So that was that. The rest of the drive was silent except for the rock on the radio barely playing through the speakers and the roar of the engine. I occasionally stole a glance at Dante, but I couldn't see his eyes; he had placed aviator sunglasses on his face.

It didn't take long for the small one-way back road to come up next to a tall fence topped with razor wire. The steal, electrified fence stood a full 10 feet high, boxing in an old store house that I suspected had once been a meat packing plant or something of that sort.

"Wait here," Dante said pulling front of the fence's entrance and getting out of the car.

I watched as he unlocked the fence and opened it wide enough for the car to slip through.

"Alright. Pull in," he called to me.

I was shocked as he motioned for me drive the car through the gap in the fence. I swallowed hard and slid into the driver's seat and slowly pressed on the gas. I didn't really like driving that much. I wasn't that talented behind the wheel, but as I eased forward, Dante smiled and nodded, letting me know that I was in the safe zone. When I was through the gate, I gently tapped the break and slid back into my original seat. Dante slid the gate closed and locked it again before climbing back into the car and continuing to the building.

He parked in a place beside the building that made the car close to imposable to see to passers by. He killed the engine and stepped out of the car. The cold air that followed him caused me to shiver, my body longing for the car heater to be turned back on.

"Come on," he said closing his door and walking for the store house.

I quickly joined his side, walking a little bit behind him. I looked the ran down building over. When I entered the store house, I was greeted by the scent of stale, unturned air. It was dark inside, and there were many rooms and levels. It was very possible to get lost in here.

Conveyer belts littered the building going in all directions. There were other machinery around that had been recently used; the mechanical smell still hung in the air. The building was cold with the November chill. If it wasn't for the scarf tied snuggly around my face, I would have been able to see my breath clearly.

I looked up at Dante who was standing to my left. He staring at me with an amused smile. Feeling self conscious, I looked away, but as he walked past me, I followed. He flipped switches here and there as he passed them, turning on the industrialized heaters he has installed.

It didn't take long for the building to heat up. I watched as Dante walked into an office of some sort. When inside, he pulled off his scarf and tossed it aside over a chair seated in front of countless monitors. I had only been in this room once, but I remembered almost everything.

I looked from monitor to monitor, looking for the one who was to be tested, but I didn't see anyone on the screens. I felt Dante looking at me and when I turned around, I was met by his serious, yet some what amused, look.

"You won't find the test taker on those screens, my dear," he said as though he had read my mind.

"Then were?" I asked, my voice muffled by the scarf I still had tied around my face.

"This way. I had planed on witnessing this test first hand," he said walking past me.

He walked to another door connected to the office. I had never been farther than this small room full of electronic equipment, so when Dante motioned for me to follow him, I hesitated slightly.

"Come on. This is the only way in or out of the testing area," he said extending his hand to grab mine.

I allowed him to grip my arm and gently tug me through the thresh hold. I was soon placed in a long, dark, hall. The vague, yet lingering, scent of death hung thickly in the air, sticking to my clothes and hair. The corridor was long and narrow. It was barely wide enough for Dante and myself to walk side-by-side.

I walked with Dante until we reached the door on the other end of the hall. Stepping in front of me and opening the door, Dante motioned for me walk through. As I did, he slid past the door, shutting it behind him.

The door lead to a rather large room. It was warm and almost welcoming here. The ceiling was high set, the lights very dim, and there was a long desk set the right side of the room. It was littered with folders, files, and papers along with some photos with large, red X's running through them.

As I turned around, I saw that the left wall was like a darkly tented window; a two way mirror. Through the mirror, I saw what looked like a medieval torture device, but it was crudely made from metal pieces, gears, and wires. I couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped my lips as my eyes fell upon a shirtless man strapped to it.

His left arm was strapped high above his head, his right hanging limply to his side, and his legs strapped firmly below him. Piecing the test together, I saw that if he did not pass within the time limit of the test, then he would be pulled apart. There was a glass beaker filled with a clear liquid hanging in front of him.

A hand on my shoulder brought me back to my current surroundings. I looked up at Dante. He wasn't smiling like he usually did when I looked at him. Instead he was wearing a serious expression. He reached up and I had to fight the urge to flinch as he pulled the scarf away from my face, tossing it across a chair.

"You don't need that in here, Miss Kaiya," he said a slight smile placed on his lips.

I bit back the blush and the heat rising to my cheeks, though the redness from my cuts would have hidden it quite well. I remained silent, nodding slightly. I returned my gaze to the man strapped to the metal contraption.

"You will simply be observing today," he said from behind me.

"What has he done?" I asked.

"Rape. Four accounts to be exact. His last victim was strangled to death and he got off scot-free due to a technical error."

I kept my eyes locked on this man, my heart holding no pity for him, but something didn't feel quite right to me. The crude contraption he was strapped to sent a shiver up my spine, settling at the base of my neck.

A hand on my shoulder shook me from my thoughts and landed me back into the present. I looked up at Dante and I couldn't hide my worried look. His brow furrowed slightly and he gently ran his hand down my back, relieving me of the shiver that was weaved into my spine.

"You look worried. Care to tell me what's on your mind?" he asked looking at me.

I stared into his eyes. They were an unnatural brown color, but they were strong and real. I shook my head and looked back at the man who was about to under go his test.

"Well, if there is nothing wrong and you have nothing to say, the test shall begin," Dante said removing his hand from my back and walking through a door on the other side of the room.

As I gazed back through the glass, I saw that the man had awoken and he was yelling. I could barely hear him through the glass. He was yelling for help. Then he suddenly fell silent and his eyes focused on something in front of him. I watched as Dante's pail, grinning face came into view.

A large brimmed hat hid the top half of his face in shadow. The grin on his face was clear.

"Who the fuck are you?" the man asked.

I strained to hear the man, but then Dante spoke.

"Hello, Kyle," he said tilting his head slightly; snake like.

His voice was sharp like cold steal; emotionless. I could hear it so perfectly through the glass that it chilled me. The way he moved his head when he spoke; never exposing his whole face. I shivered slightly and I felt a slight fear of the man known as The Court Jester.

The man began to yell louder and struggle against his restraints. Jester allowed him to yell for a few moments before laughing loudly in response to his calls for help.

"Yell all you want. No one can hear you. No one can help you. Now if you wish to live, listen to me."

His voice was smooth and calm, but there was a frightening anger laying just below the surface of his tone. The man was quickly silenced.

"You have caused other's pain. You've fed off it. Innocent people have fallen under your hand and now you are going to be put to the test to see if you are willing to sacrifice your blood in order to be forgiven of the life you took. If you do not pa-"

"Fuck you!" the man yelled struggling again.

The grin was no longer on Jester's face and he looked angry. Then he smiled again.

"If you do not pass then you will die. In order to pass, you must get the key from the acid in front of you," he said pointing.

As I examined the beaker, I saw that there was a small silver key slowly dissolving in the liquid.

"Hurry…The contraption you're strapped to will pull you apart in 60 seconds and the key will be dissolved in 30...Your time starts now."

And with that Jester walked back into the room were I was. I didn't make eye contact with Dante as he joined me and placed a firm hand on my shoulder. He remained silent and I stared at the man who was screaming. There were loud clicking sounds and the man's body began to stretch out.

He tried to un-strap his left arm from its restraints, but gave up. He screamed and tried to tip the beaker over, but failed. He the plunged his free hand into the acid, splashing some out and onto his body. He screamed and tried to wipe it off with his right hand. The liquid in the beaker was red and the man's shirtless flesh began to turn red and raw. It soon began to bleed. He screamed loudly and attempted to get the key again, but withdrew his hand. A blood chilling scream escaped his lips and his torso was ripped in half.

I suddenly knew why this felt wrong. It was murder.

"Kaiya…?" Dante's soft voice said.

I was aware of the hand on my shoulder. I was rushed back to reality and I had only one thing on my mind; I had to get out. I bolted out the door and rushed for the exit.

"Kaiya!" Dante yelled after me.

I was almost to the door when I was grabbed from behind. I screamed and lashed out.

"Kaiya! It's okay! It's me! Calm down!" Dante's voice said in my ear.

I went limp and I fell to my knees. The warm tears spilled over on to my cheeks, the salt burning my forming scars.

"Murder," I muttered quietly.

"What? Kaiya, your hands are-"

"Murder!" I yelled looking up at Dante.

"That was murder! What you just di-"

"No. It wasn't murder," he said in his sharp voice.

"T-then what?" I asked.

"Justice. Redemption. Retribution," he said.

I watched as he knelt down in front of me. He gently placed his hand on my head, stroking my head. His eyes were warm and welcoming.

"What I do…What we do is give justice and redemption. It isn't murder, my sweet Kaiya," he said running his hand down my face and gently wiping the tears off my cheeks.

I looked at him. Understanding washing over me. All these people that have been tested and have failed didn't disserve the lives they once held because they weren't willing to do what it takes to live.

I nodded and looked down and gasped. The gauze and wrappings around my hands were deep red; the wounds on my hands had began to bleed again. I watched as Dante gently took them in his and looked them over.

"I'm not surprised the cuts have opened back up with the way you were gripping that chair," he said.

"What?" I said looking at him.

"While you were watching the test take place you were gripping that chair so hard, I thought you were going to break a knuckle," he said standing up.

I didn't remember that. I guess I was too deep in thought. Dante grabbed me by my forearms and pulled me to my feet.

"Come on. Let's get those hands taken care of," he said wrapping an arm around my shoulders and holding me close.

That day I learned why Dante did what he did. It was justice. I believed this. And I would follow the rules of being Dante's apprentice. The rules are simple, the game is easy, but the tests are hard.

I still have a lot to learn…

~*~Chapter 3 End~*~


End file.
